The Bureau of Labor Statistics outlines the average annual salary of a medical assistant in the USA as $35,720 and the average hourly pay as $17.17(as of May 2019). According to BLS, Georgia pays packages of $33,300 annually and $16.01 hourly to its MAs, i.e., slightly lesser than the national average wages.
Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
---|---|---|---|
BLS | $16.01 | $33,300 | March 31, 2020 |
Indeed | $15.00 | $34,698 | November 16, 2020 |
Salary.com | $17 | 35, 039 | October 28, 2020 |
Ziprecruiter | $13 | $28,036 | November 2020 |
Please note the annual and hourly pay prospects of MAs in GA. Data estimations from different sources have been enlisted in the table above.
According to indeed.com, the average per hour salary of certified medical assistants in Georgia was $14.92 as of 13 June, 2020, which is the same as the national average.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean hourly and annual salary of medical assistants in GA (as of May 2019) was $16.01 and $33,300, respectively.
Percentile | Annual Salary (Georgia) | Annual Salary (National) |
---|---|---|
10% | $24,000 | $25,820 |
25% | $27,950 | $29,460 |
50% | $32,990 | $34,800 |
75% | $38,310 | $40,270 |
90% | $43,200 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS
The above table represents the annual salary of medical assistants in Georgia at different percentiles is less than the national average wage.
City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Annual Salary (salary.com) |
---|---|---|
Atlanta | $15.91 | $35,825 |
Marietta | $15.78 | $35,724 |
Lawrenceville | $15.18 | $35,571 |
Decatur | $14.94 | $35,825 |
Alpharetta | $14.51 | $35,639 |
Augusta | $13.77 | $33,891 |
Stockbridge | $13.49 | $35,690 |
Macon | $13.48 | $33,791 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 7, 2020), salary.com (as of October 28, 2020)
The highest paying city in the state of GA for medical assistants is Atlanta ($15.91 per hour and $35,825 per year on an average). Atlanta is followed by cities like Marietta, Decatur, and Stockbridge. These top 8 paying cities in Georgia render salaries between $15.91 and $13.48 per hour and $35,825 and $33,791 per year.
Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $35,060 | $25,990 | $35,000 | $45,750 |
Hinesville, GA | $34,570 | $26,350 | $32,540 | $47,560 |
Athens-Clarke County, GA | $33,720 | $26,110 | $34,070 | $41,410 |
Gainesville, GA | $33,310 | $26,160 | $32,900 | $41,410 |
Rome, GA | $32,530 | $23,690 | $32,110 | $41,610 |
Chattanooga, TN-GA | $32,490 | $25,040 | $31,040 | $42,680 |
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $31,910 | $24,480 | $31,030 | $41,360 |
Valdosta, GA | $31,110 | $22,140 | $30,470 | $39,760 |
Albany, GA | $30,920 | $23,290 | $29,940 | $39,920 |
Savannah, GA | $30,500 | $22,330 | $30,720 | $39,010 |
Macon, GA | $30,020 | $21,840 | $29,400 | $39,630 |
Dalton, GA | $29,560 | $21,280 | $29,320 | $38,810 |
Columbus, GA-AL | $29,150 | $21,470 | $28,620 | $38,650 |
Warner Robins, GA | $28,880 | $21,490 | $28,060 | $37,810 |
Brunswick, GA | $28,140 | $17,750 | $28,680 | $38,840 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
As shown in the table above, the GA area of Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell paid the highest to its MAs ($35,060 annually). Other top-paying metropolitan areas included Hinesville, Albany, Macon, and Athens-Clarke County (in no particular order). The respective salaries of each are enlisted above. These other highest-paying metropolitan areas rendered wages between $34,570 and $28,140 per year.
Amongst the areas of Georgia, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell employed the maximum number of MAs (as per BLS reports). A total of 16,410 MAs were hired by this area alone as of March 31, 2020.
Find below the top 10 cities/areas of Georgia that have the highest employment figures for medical assistants:
Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
---|---|
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 16,410 |
Chattanooga, TN-GA | 1,770 |
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 1,250 |
Gainesville, GA | 1,180 |
Macon, GA | 1,050 |
Columbus, GA-AL | 1,020 |
Savannah, GA | 990 |
Athens-Clarke County, GA | 590 |
Albany, GA | 500 |
Warner Robins, GA | 400 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Knowing about the top employers for your occupation in the state is imperative. The range of clinical medical assistant salary in Georgia can depend on your hiring facility.
Here is a list of the top 10 employers for MAs that render out the highest pay packages in Georgia:
Employer | Per Hour Salary |
---|---|
Internal Data Resources | $64,537 |
Sutter Health | $62,847 |
Duke University | $56,800 |
Kaiser Permanente | $53,718 |
Virginia Mason Medical Center | $53,177 |
UT Southwestern Medical Center | $51,319 |
Fortis College | $50,550 |
Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System | $49,793 |
Oregon Health & Science University | $49,746 |
Health Partners | $47,742 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 8, 2020)
The employer that pays the highest medical assistant salary in Georgia is Internal Data Resources (annual packages average $64,537).
Wages are important but so are add-on benefits. While estimating how much do medical assistants make in Georgia, you must also take into account these other perks. They together determine the total medical assistant pay in Georgia:
Your add-on healthcare benefits form a major chunk (12.2% worth) of your total compensation value. The healthcare benefits cover insurance (health, dental, and vision, etc.).
These benefits incorporate comp-offs and paid breaks. MAs can rejuvenate and leave the stress behind, thanks to these time-offs. They roughly amount to 8.5% of your total compensation value.
Social security benefits come in handy not only to you but to your family too, post-retirement. This perk amounts to 5.1% of the total compensation figure in Georgia.
If you’re working across for-profit facilities, you are entitled to 401K benefits. Whereas, if you’re employed in a not-for-profit center, you will be given the 403B perks. These benefits amount to 3.3% worth of the total compensation.
Pension amounts to around 2.8% of total compensation for Georgia medical assistants.
Disability benefits (for qualifying MAs) amount to 1.1% of total compensation in GA.
Thus, all the above benefits + the base salary (around 66.9% of total compensation) + the bonus (0.1% of total compensation) equal to the total compensation figure for MAs in Georgia. This compensation figure stands at $52,337 on an average (inclusive of all perks) for GA medical assistants. (Source: salary.com as of October 28, 2020)
Note: There are further benefits that may be added depending on your employer. These include relocation assistance, flexible work-timings, and tuition assistance for MA-related study.
Related Professions | Average Salary |
---|---|
Medical Office Assistant | $14.43 per hour |
Clinical Assistant | $14.85 per hour |
Medical Receptionist | $13.73 per hour |
Back Office Medical Assistant | $2,324 per month |
Medical Scribe | $12.43 per hour |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 8, 2020)
If you ever want to explore opportunities around the domain of medical assisting, awareness of pay prospects of similar occupations can help. As enlisted in the table above, related professions such as Medical Office Assistants, Clinical Assistants, and Medical Receptionists offer salaries between $14.85 and $12.43 per hour.
From 2018 to 2028, significant growth is estimated in the number of jobs available for medical assistants in Georgia. A growing population that is becoming all the more health-conscious is giving way to more medical facilities in the state. Thus, the medical assistant jobs in Georgia are only bound to grow drastically soon.
Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
Georgia | 24,730 | 33,270 | 8,540 | +34.5% | 4,050 |
Source: Projection Central
Source: gpb.org (as of September 1, 2017)
Note: It is also a good idea to research how much certified medical assistants make in Georgia. Certified medical assistant salary in Georgia is often higher than MA salary in Georgia. Thus, it is strongly encouraged to pursue these credentials via medical assistant certification in Georgia.
CMA and RMA certifications are most revered by employers. Complete one of the accredited medical assistant schools in Georgia to sit for these certifying exams.
Written by : Casey Gardner
Casey Gardner is both a healthcare support professional and an accomplished content creator. She has been working as a certified health care professional with marketable skills as a physician assistant, and a qualified medical assistant for last two decades. She has dedicated her nursing career to produce over hundreds of content pieces since 2001, and her work has been published both online as well as offline.